Get a Bad Day Back on Track

Readers and experts share their tips for turning a terrible mood around.

Everyone has those days. The alarm doesn't go off, you're unexpectedly out of coffee filters, there's no hot water, and when you finally get out the door, there's a heinous traffic jam you're fairly certain was put there just to test your nearly depleted patience. Or you wake up thinking, Today I will be productive! — only to get sidetracked by your email, which leaves you less time to prepare for your meeting with your mortgage broker, so you skip your lunchtime let-me-get-some-exercise walk to do more research and eat mac and cheese in frustration. Even if you've somehow lost control of your day, that doesn't mean you can't reboot and recover. "Nothing is ever as bad as it first appears," says Karen Salmonsohn, self-help author of How to Change Your Entire Life By Doing Absolutely Nothing. "During a bad day, your lens of the world gets muddied and you can't see solutions as clearly. Walking away from the stress immediately improves your vision." Even the smallest action can change your perspective and turn your day around. Here's how REDBOOK readers and experts hit the refresh button.

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"I like to blast Meat Loaf's song 'Life Is a Lemon (and I Want My Money Back)' when I'm having a horrid day. After I sing that at the top of my lungs, I'm totally ready to face my challenges head-on!"
-Monica Dobbs, 29, Glens Falls, NY

"Simple: I take a few minutes and remember that it can always be worse. Then I hug my kids and count my blessings."
-Marsha Thomas, 36, Cave City, KY

"Sometimes I go to bed playing out the next day in my head, but it just never turns out the way I imagined it. On those kinds of days, I tell myself, 'I'm human. Beating myself up about whatever happened won't make the situation any better.' If I accidentally ate a doughnut instead of my planned oatmeal for breakfast, I try to at least remember the fact that I enjoyed the indulgence, and maybe I even needed it to get off to a good start for that particular day."
-Jessica Young, 25, Warren, PA

"What I do is check my calendar daily and make certain that I always have something to look forward to, either in that week or even a few months. Whether it's pedicures with my sister, massages with my mom, ladies' night at a local restaurant, or a vacation with my husband, those things remind me not to sweat the small stuff and help me refocus."
-Andrea Nemeth, 38, Caldwell, NJ

"I usually start by writing down eight things I'm grateful for. Whenever things get tense, I remember my list or make a new one. It really helps put things into perspective."
-Jaime Mason, 30, Lorain, OH

"When I'm having a really bad day — and we've all had quite a few! — I just take a five-minute break and do a little deep breathing and imagine I'm at the beach. I think of the ocean and the sun and imagine that the tide is carrying my troubles away."
-Laura DuBard-Wren, 53, Lithia Springs, GA

"I'm a 911 dispatcher, so when I have an especially crazy day at work, I ground myself by running up and down the steps. A bit of exercise clears my head and immediately makes me feel better. After that, I'm ready to face the rat race again."
-Margaret Franko, 56, Rochester, MN

"At moments when you feel like you've totally blown it, you tend to be hard on yourself, which is the last thing you need. To get both your attitude and your day back on track, be positive and encouraging with yourself. Try saying something along the lines of, 'Let's get a grip on things. You are a capable person, and you help everyone else; now it's time to help yourself.'"
-Cherie Carter-Scott, Ph.D., author of Negaholics: How to Overcome Negativity and Turn Your Life Around

"Because I'm a stay-at-home mom and have four kids, ages 3 through 12, having a day that doesn't go as I planned is standard operating procedure. I can't always do anything about it, so I wait until Daddy gets home, put on a pot of coffee, and buckle down with something that makes me feel good — getting that heaping basket of clothes folded and put away or picking up and vacuuming the living room. If I can see at least some progress, I feel better whenI finally lie down and turn out the light."
-Wendy Marner, 42, Cedar Rapids, IA

"I say, 'A lesser woman would crumble right now, but not moi!' That thought usually makes me laugh, and it revs me up to keep going when the day throws me a curveball."
-Karen Salmonsohn, self-help author

"When I'm having the worst day, I try to tell everyone I see to have a great day, because it makes them smile. I feel like I did something good for someone else, and somehow, that helps me have a much better outlook on what the rest of the day may bring."
-Stefanie Schmidt, 30, Las Vegas

"We have an above-ground pool, and in the summer, friends and family are always stopping by to hang out there. I used to get frustrated, because I had plenty of things to do around the house and I felt like those drop-in guests were just wasting my day. But now I figure, life's too short! So I just go out and enjoy the company. It turns out to be a great family day for everyone, and it's much more enjoyable than my household chores!"
-Terri Hare, 44, Macomb, IL

"I do four things: First, I acknowledge how I feel about the unexpected or annoying incident because I can't change how I'm feeling until I know what I'm feeling. Then, I stop analyzing it — overthinking only keeps you from taking action. Next, I focus on my breathing. As I inhale, I think about my feeling, and when I exhale, I let it go. Last, I say to myself, 'Snap out of it now!' This mantra, paired with the breathing, can put you back in the present moment."
-Adrianne Ahern, Ph.D., author of Snap Out of It Now!

"When I'm having a very bad day, I like to watch old television shows like Laverne & Shirley or All in the Family. Sex with my husband works too!"
-Leona Jean Drolet, 44, Ocala, FL